Remembering Steve Williams
After a lengthy battle with throat cancer, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams died Tuesday night. He was 49.
Williams, a former football and wrestling star at the University of Oklahoma, was one of the top guys in Bill Watts’ Mid-South promotion (later known as the Universal Wrestling Federation) in the 1980s, and he also wrestled in the NWA, WCW and WWE. He was a huge star in Japan, both as a singles wrestler and as part of The Miracle Violence Connection tag team with Terry Gordy in All Japan Pro Wrestling.
With his rugged features, Williams certainly looked the part of a tough guy, and he had a reputation for being exactly that. Before I ever saw him wrestle on television, I remember seeing a story in Pro Wrestling Illustrated about how he received 108 stitches above his eye and still wrestled later that night.
The first time I saw Williams in action was when WTBS started carrying UWF in 1985. I was immediately impressed with his look and his wrestling and brawling skills. I had him pegged as a future world champion, and when Jim Crockett Promotions bought the UWF in 1987, I thought it was just a matter of time before Williams won the NWA title. Surprisingly, he was never pushed at that level.
He did become a very successful tag team wrestler in the NWA and WCW. As part of the Varsity Club heel faction, Williams and Mike Rotunda won the NWA world tag team title from The Road Warriors in 1989. A few years later, Williams and Gordy captured the NWA and WCW tag team titles, defeating the Steiner Brothers for the latter.
Williams’ stint with WWE in 1998 ended up being a disaster. He took part in the “Brawl for All,” which was a shoot tough-man tournament on Raw. It is believed that WWE created the concept with the idea that Williams would win it, and he would then get a title program with WWE champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Unfortunately, Williams tore his hamstring during his match against Bart Gunn and was knocked out. His tough guy mystique was lessened, and the title program with Austin was shelved.
Williams, whose last run in an American promotion was as a mid-carder in WCW in 1999, had been battling cancer for the past five years.
My condolences go out to Williams’ family and friends.
Comments
As someone who spent many a Sunday night from 1985 through 1988-89 watching UWF tapings at the Tulsa, Okla., Convention Center, I can tell you the pro wrestling world lost a great man today. Rest in peace, Doc.
Posted by: Steve in Oklahoma | December 30, 2009 6:46 PM
Dr. Death was one of my all-time favorites. Heaven must have needed a tough guy. Rest in peace Steve.
Posted by: Travis | December 30, 2009 7:03 PM
Dr. Death was always one of my favorites. I miss seeing him in the ring, and wish there was something I could do or say to comfort his family. The wrestling world has lost a good one.
Posted by: BJ | December 30, 2009 7:38 PM
Many fond memories . RIP Steve Williams .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | December 30, 2009 8:02 PM
I was lucky to come across some old Mid South and UWF tapes...talk about ahead of their times!!!
RIP Doc!!!
Posted by: Michealdeff | December 30, 2009 9:35 PM
I remember Doc in the UWF days going up against Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ted DiBiase, Terry Gordy. Then when he joined WCW in the Varsity Club with Kevin Sullivan, Rick Steiner, and Mike Rotundo forming and great heel faction. When WCW came to Baltimore I got a chance to meet him and shake his hand. He seemed like a very nice person, very approachable and friendly.
RIP Doc! Thank You for so many joyous memories.
Posted by: Dave | December 30, 2009 9:39 PM
That match with Gordy against the Steiners was a classic. Who would have thought that both would be dead just a little over fifteen years later.
RIP MVC
Posted by: Michael in Virginia | December 31, 2009 12:52 AM
Ironically, SCSA's real name is Steve Williams. I remember back when Dr. Death was a part-time pro wrestler while he was an All-American at Oklahoma... amazing. But his reputation was marred to me - not so much by getting his butt whipped by Bart Gunn - but by hearing he intentionally injured Mexican wrestlers while getting over with Gordy in WCW,
Posted by: Ruzious | December 31, 2009 1:59 AM
Was he really only 49 years old? I'm 40 and he didn't seem like he was only 9 years older then me when I was watching him in high school back in the 1980s.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I agree that he looked older than he was.
Posted by: etucker | December 31, 2009 10:12 AM
The Brawl For All was an amazingly stupid idea.
All it did was injure people and hurt reputations.
Posted by: Elevation | December 31, 2009 11:44 AM
If you are a believer in heaven, then you know that heaven is a place where there is total happiness and you have all your hearts desire. With that being said, there HAS to be a wrestling ring somewhere up there because there are a whole lot of people whose heart's desire was wrestling. May you rest in peace Doc, and may you win them all...with no pain at all, it should be fun again!
Posted by: Jesse Mitchell | December 31, 2009 7:46 PM
The logic behind the Brawn For All was ridiculous. So they were trying to have a legit competition and then have the winner go into a scripted program with Stone Cold. Why not just put Dr. Death in a program with Austin from the get go?
RESPONSE FROM KE: Because they didn't think he was over enough.
Posted by: Loco | December 31, 2009 9:08 PM
I have unfortunately not seen enough of "Dr. Death." I remember him a little from his WWF run (which sadly didn't amount to much). It shows his legacy that, even being a little too young and on the wrong side of the country to have seen him in his prime, I still have learned a lot about him from other fans and interviews with wrestlers. Based on this reputation, I watched a couple matches of matches from Japan on Youtube a short while ago and they were amazing. They start off a little slow, if you are only used to WWE-style from the last decade or so, but I highly recommend giving both a watch.
vs. the legendary Kenta Kobashi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96rFEUyj1w
vs. the also legendary and also unfortunately recently deceased Mistuhara Misawa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPdGHsturbU
RIP.
Posted by: J Newbs | January 1, 2010 3:56 AM
sorry to hear of the Doc passing really loved watching his matches in the Old Mid South/UWF I wish when JCP bought it out they would have gave him the same chance they gave sting especially with him be that companies champ vs RIc Flair I think if they could have set that up properly maybe they would still be in business today but he also still had his stints in WCW with the Varsity Club & him & Gordy I think made 1 of the greatest teams ever I think even better than Gordy's freebord teams
Posted by: frank from dundalk | January 1, 2010 10:21 AM
My 1st ever live wrestling event was in the Baltimore Arena, 7/10/88 for NWA Great American Bash. the night Flair/Luger was stopped for blood and the BS chant erupted through the area, One of the most talked about moments of the night was the crazy triple dome cage match, which looked as if it would topple, and Dr .Death beating the hell out of Ivan Kollof, jumping up and down on him repeatedly, A very grueling match because those 2 men made it that rough and competitive, id like to see both in the WWE Hall of Fame one day, God Bless Dr. Death..
Posted by: Henry | January 3, 2010 10:49 AM
DEAR WILLIAMS FAMILY
I'M VERY VERY VERY SORRY ABOUT YOUR FAMILY MEMBER
YOUR WWE FAN FRIEND
WITH SINCERELY
COLTON THIESFELD
Posted by: COLTON THIESFELD | January 4, 2010 11:38 PM